Widely Mocked Anti-Piracy Ads Made People Pirate More, Study Finds
Another problem is what the study identifies as “the social proof lever.” […] Anti-piracy campaigns make piracy seem like the social norm. If everyone is doing it, the logic goes, it probably isn’t that bad. “Informing directly or indirectly individuals that many people pirate is counterproductive and encourages piracy by driving the targeted individuals to behave similarly,” the study said. “These messages provide to the would-be pirates the needed rationalization by emphasizing that ‘everyone is doing it.” The study had one last piece of advice for movie studios: stop airing anti-piracy ads in the theater. “These messages are frequently edited out by pirates before being redistributed through the internet, the study said. “Consequently, individuals who see the message are paying users […] displaying descriptive information about how widespread piracy is to paying users is ill-advised.”
(tags: piracy ads you-wouldnt-steal-a-car advertising fail social-norms)